Frequently Asked Questions

The “recipe” of the product; also known as a CSF.

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A specific type of pesticide that contains a biological element that is living that does the killing/mitigating/repelling.

The number that is given to each specific pesticide product by the EPA once registered.

The numbering scheme: 6 digits (EPA company number) + 5 digits (specific product number of product).

The manual that the EPA has put together to aid companies/consultants in the guidelines that regulate what language and how labels should look on the retail shelf.

The list of approved EPA products that are active (i.e. not inactive or been dropped).

There are no pesticides registered as Section (3)s that have the language (use) of cannabis on them (cannabis is illegal Federally), however, many states are allowing products that have broad enough language on the label to be used in the cannabis industry. FIFRA 25(b) Exempt products are not bound by this Federal limitation and can have cannabis language on the label, however, we do not recommend companies do this. Instead, if the label language is written broad enough many states will approve the use on cannabis.  Please contact us, if you would like to discuss this difficult industry and the labeling/regulation quagmire.

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These are known as FIFRA Section(3) Pesticide Registrations. A registration that is finally registered by the EPA has gone through the necessary applications, testing and the like to be allowed to be sold into the states.     

Pesticides that are registered Federally have two forms of labeling:

1. The EPA or Master Label: this is the label that has been stamped approved by the EPA.

2. Market or Retail Label: this is the label that you and I see on the retail shelf. These labels are regulated and must abide by both State and Federal regulations. A FIFRA 25(b) Exempt product only has a Market/Retail Label because they are not registered by the EPA; only by the States (44 at present) and they dictate what can be said and their look.

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These are labs that do the testing/analysis that are required for pesticide registrations. When required, many studies must be done according to Good Laboratory Practices (GLP).

OMRI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides an independent review of products, such as fertilizers, pest controls, livestock health care products, and numerous other inputs that are intended for use in certified organic production and processing.

NPIRS is Purdue Universities search engine for product data searches, product state registrations and almost anything pesticide related.

An insecticide is included under the umbrella of a pesticide. The umbrella pesticide includes the following items:

Rodenticide, miticide, repellent, algaecide, disinfectant, fungicide, herbicide, fumigant, antimicrobial, antifoulant, avicide, defoliant, molluscide, nematicide, piscicide, sanitizer, termiticide and wood preservative.

The EPA has exempted from registration any pesticide that abides by the following conditions:

1. The product’s active ingredients must be only those that are listed in 40 CF 152.25(f)(1)

2. The product’s inert ingredients may be only those that have been classified by EPA as:

·       Listed in 40 CFR 152.25(f)(2)

·       Commonly consumed food commodities, animal feed items and edible fats and oils as described in 40 CFR 180.950(a), (b) and (c) and

·       Certain chemical substances listed under 40 CFR 180.950(e)

3. All the ingredients (both active and inert) must be listed on the label. The active ingredients(s) must be listed by label display name and percentage by weight. Each inert ingredient must be listed by label display name.

4. The product must not bear claims either to control or mitigate organisms that pose a threat to human health, insects or rodents carrying specific diseases.

5. The name of the producer or company for whom the product was produced and the company’s contact information must be displayed prominently on the product label.

6. The label cannot include any false or misleading statements.

FIFRA is the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act

It is managed by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) for any: substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest, substance or mixture of substances intended for use as a plant regulator, defoliant or desiccant nitrogen stabilizer.

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